Games and connections (was High School Experience/Playing Halo)
[email protected]
In a message dated 1/30/05 7:14:01 PM, kellitraas@... writes:
<< Ah, games, if only people would give them the credit they deserve. If my
son's head was in a book or if he was researching some biological function of
some animal, people wouldn't ask, "how long has he been doing that?" But
since its a game, its not quite right that he's doing this so indepthly. I
find his passion amazing and incredible.
An hour ago I was upstairs making quesadillas (many, and cutting them up and
making another) for the dozen or so kids (ages 13 to 21) who are here tonight.
Marty and Ryan (the 21 year old, who's working on writing games with Marty)
were talking about Mars, and Marty said he would go ask his dad how far Mars
was from Earth. Somehow it mattered in their game. We talked about whether
and why Keith (the dad) would know.
While Marty hiked back to where Keith was, I went to get encyclopedias,
saying I was going to look the old fashioned way. I remembered someone here or in
some unschooling discussion asking (today? yesterday?) whether anyone used
encyclopedias anymore.
So I pulled out M, P and S (in case it was under planets or solar system) and
started looking, but also was saying it was going to be WAY variable and
depend on the moment, because sometimes Mars is nowhere NEAR Earth. Under Mars
there was a graphic of when Mars had been closest, since the late 1960's, and it
showed the pattern, like where Earth was in orbit when Mars came by. That
was cool.
But in all that, Ryan said they had been frustrated one time that the
encyclopedia didn't have what they wanted. "This encyclopedia?" "Yeah."
So they've used it before.
I mentioned finding "cargo cults" and I didn't believe him. There it was, I
said, in that little bitty paperback encyclopedia. I got it and showed him.
Nobody in the room (four guys) had heard of cargo cults, and it wasn't in the
larger encyclopedia, so I got online and found a site, with some photos!
Here it is, in case any of you haven't heard of cargo cults, or if you have
and want to see photos of the model planes and some other cool stuff.
And that discussion led to other speculation on the nature of religion,
extraterrestrial possibilities and the Simpsons episode when Lisa had a microscopic
culture worshipping her, and evolving quickly.
That all happened because of games, and good relationships, and joy.
Ah yeah, the site:
http://anth.ucalgary.ca/DHatt/Anth473/Cargo.htm
If that's any fun, just go to google and put in "cargo cults."
Sandra
<< Ah, games, if only people would give them the credit they deserve. If my
son's head was in a book or if he was researching some biological function of
some animal, people wouldn't ask, "how long has he been doing that?" But
since its a game, its not quite right that he's doing this so indepthly. I
find his passion amazing and incredible.
>>Mars, and cargo cults.
An hour ago I was upstairs making quesadillas (many, and cutting them up and
making another) for the dozen or so kids (ages 13 to 21) who are here tonight.
Marty and Ryan (the 21 year old, who's working on writing games with Marty)
were talking about Mars, and Marty said he would go ask his dad how far Mars
was from Earth. Somehow it mattered in their game. We talked about whether
and why Keith (the dad) would know.
While Marty hiked back to where Keith was, I went to get encyclopedias,
saying I was going to look the old fashioned way. I remembered someone here or in
some unschooling discussion asking (today? yesterday?) whether anyone used
encyclopedias anymore.
So I pulled out M, P and S (in case it was under planets or solar system) and
started looking, but also was saying it was going to be WAY variable and
depend on the moment, because sometimes Mars is nowhere NEAR Earth. Under Mars
there was a graphic of when Mars had been closest, since the late 1960's, and it
showed the pattern, like where Earth was in orbit when Mars came by. That
was cool.
But in all that, Ryan said they had been frustrated one time that the
encyclopedia didn't have what they wanted. "This encyclopedia?" "Yeah."
So they've used it before.
I mentioned finding "cargo cults" and I didn't believe him. There it was, I
said, in that little bitty paperback encyclopedia. I got it and showed him.
Nobody in the room (four guys) had heard of cargo cults, and it wasn't in the
larger encyclopedia, so I got online and found a site, with some photos!
Here it is, in case any of you haven't heard of cargo cults, or if you have
and want to see photos of the model planes and some other cool stuff.
And that discussion led to other speculation on the nature of religion,
extraterrestrial possibilities and the Simpsons episode when Lisa had a microscopic
culture worshipping her, and evolving quickly.
That all happened because of games, and good relationships, and joy.
Ah yeah, the site:
http://anth.ucalgary.ca/DHatt/Anth473/Cargo.htm
If that's any fun, just go to google and put in "cargo cults."
Sandra
[email protected]
In a message dated 1/30/05 9:04:55 PM, SandraDodd@... writes:
<< While Marty hiked back to where Keith was, I went to get encyclopedias,
saying I was going to look the old fashioned way. >>
Forgot to say, Keith did know how close Mars can get, but also said right off
that it varies wildly and changes all the time. Not that there's not a
pattern, there's just not one "right answer."
Sandra
<< While Marty hiked back to where Keith was, I went to get encyclopedias,
saying I was going to look the old fashioned way. >>
Forgot to say, Keith did know how close Mars can get, but also said right off
that it varies wildly and changes all the time. Not that there's not a
pattern, there's just not one "right answer."
Sandra
Elizabeth Hill
** And that discussion led to other speculation on the nature of religion,
extraterrestrial possibilities and the Simpsons episode when Lisa had a
microscopic
culture worshipping her, and evolving quickly.**
And this connects to Theodore Sturgeon's well-known Sci-Fi story "The
Microcosmic God".
I think one could connect Cargo Cults to the movie "The Gods Must Be
Crazy", but it's a stretch.
Betsy
PS There is a Tracy-Hepburn movie where she's a reference librarian and
he as a huge (old-type) computer and they race to look up information.
(Ah --- Desk Set!)
extraterrestrial possibilities and the Simpsons episode when Lisa had a
microscopic
culture worshipping her, and evolving quickly.**
And this connects to Theodore Sturgeon's well-known Sci-Fi story "The
Microcosmic God".
I think one could connect Cargo Cults to the movie "The Gods Must Be
Crazy", but it's a stretch.
Betsy
PS There is a Tracy-Hepburn movie where she's a reference librarian and
he as a huge (old-type) computer and they race to look up information.
(Ah --- Desk Set!)
Robyn Coburn
<<<I mentioned finding "cargo cults" and I didn't believe him. There it
was, I
said, in that little bitty paperback encyclopedia. I got it and showed him.
Nobody in the room (four guys) had heard of cargo cults, and it wasn't in
the
larger encyclopedia, so I got online and found a site, with some
photos!>>>>>
Well here I am reading the fascinating "Lies My Teacher Told Me", with the
point of view that much of the actual information is completely new to me,
since I did not go to school and learn American History. I'm thinking that
without any doubt there could be an Australian version of this book, and
wondering about the European history and the often parallel path of teaching
Australian history - the "discovery" by a heroic European, the
marginalization of the native population, the glossing over of non-English
European pre-dating explorations including the surely inevitable visitations
of Polynesians and S.E. Asian cultures which can hardly have failed to make
that meager ocean journey (I mean if the Vikings could cross the Atlantic!)
And here is a whole and fascinating carry over of colonialism that I would
have liked to have heard of when we were doing our brief study of Papua/New
Guinea - a region that according to the Geography I studied in High School
(a looong time ago it should be noted) is valuable almost entirely because
it contained viable "primitive" cultures to study who were still using slash
and burn agriculture, and according to the History I studied was very useful
to "us" (Aussies and Allies) in WWII, because the Japanese got hung up in
the jungles there and didn't manage to get as far as Australia, at least not
much.(!!!) As if the Japanese were marching on a giant Earth sized board
game and got to a space marked "Lose A Turn" in the PNG jungles.
Robyn L. Coburn
---
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was, I
said, in that little bitty paperback encyclopedia. I got it and showed him.
Nobody in the room (four guys) had heard of cargo cults, and it wasn't in
the
larger encyclopedia, so I got online and found a site, with some
photos!>>>>>
Well here I am reading the fascinating "Lies My Teacher Told Me", with the
point of view that much of the actual information is completely new to me,
since I did not go to school and learn American History. I'm thinking that
without any doubt there could be an Australian version of this book, and
wondering about the European history and the often parallel path of teaching
Australian history - the "discovery" by a heroic European, the
marginalization of the native population, the glossing over of non-English
European pre-dating explorations including the surely inevitable visitations
of Polynesians and S.E. Asian cultures which can hardly have failed to make
that meager ocean journey (I mean if the Vikings could cross the Atlantic!)
And here is a whole and fascinating carry over of colonialism that I would
have liked to have heard of when we were doing our brief study of Papua/New
Guinea - a region that according to the Geography I studied in High School
(a looong time ago it should be noted) is valuable almost entirely because
it contained viable "primitive" cultures to study who were still using slash
and burn agriculture, and according to the History I studied was very useful
to "us" (Aussies and Allies) in WWII, because the Japanese got hung up in
the jungles there and didn't manage to get as far as Australia, at least not
much.(!!!) As if the Japanese were marching on a giant Earth sized board
game and got to a space marked "Lose A Turn" in the PNG jungles.
Robyn L. Coburn
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.841 / Virus Database: 572 - Release Date: 1/21/2005
Robyn Coburn
<<<<PS There is a Tracy-Hepburn movie where she's a reference librarian and
he as a huge (old-type) computer and they race to look up information.
(Ah --- Desk Set!)>>>>
Playing on Fox Movie Channel this month. In which one of the pieces of
information is about the King of the Watusis, who was able to buy a car with
the money he got from making the movie "King Solomon's Mine" (Stewart
Granger/Deborah Kerr) a review of which is quoted in "Desk Set" and which
was on the other night on TCM.
Robyn L. Coburn
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.841 / Virus Database: 572 - Release Date: 1/21/2005
he as a huge (old-type) computer and they race to look up information.
(Ah --- Desk Set!)>>>>
Playing on Fox Movie Channel this month. In which one of the pieces of
information is about the King of the Watusis, who was able to buy a car with
the money he got from making the movie "King Solomon's Mine" (Stewart
Granger/Deborah Kerr) a review of which is quoted in "Desk Set" and which
was on the other night on TCM.
Robyn L. Coburn
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.841 / Virus Database: 572 - Release Date: 1/21/2005
[email protected]
The evening's activities are winding down (it's 12:30 in the morning) but I hear the six kids who are still here (seven, but Kirby's working on math homework) have started playing "The Dating Game" though they've misnamed it ("The Dating Show") and don't really get it. Marty was asking questions like "What is the capital of Iowa?" and "What is the horsepower of a 97 Volvo?" And "If you were a girl, what kind of girl would you be?"
They're calling the moderator "Trebek" and Holly just broke for a hot pockets commercial, just so she could sing the theme music, which she had come in here to get me to sing to her, because none of them knew it.
A lame version of a show they haven't really seen, and yet they're all laughing and having a good time. Kirby's throwing in rude comments.
I'm going to go to sleep.
Sandra
They're calling the moderator "Trebek" and Holly just broke for a hot pockets commercial, just so she could sing the theme music, which she had come in here to get me to sing to her, because none of them knew it.
A lame version of a show they haven't really seen, and yet they're all laughing and having a good time. Kirby's throwing in rude comments.
I'm going to go to sleep.
Sandra
Pamale Teitelbaum
Well here I am reading the fascinating "Lies My
I'm still recovering from "Labor's untold History"
(which left me just floored and feeling totally
betrayed...the ways in which I was lied to in school
is just unbearable to think about at times)
I'm reading "1421, the year China Discovered America"
which is just utterly amazing. It sets out to prove
that by 1423 China had sent over a hundred ships out
to circumnavigate the globe and finish the first true
map of the world, and yes, there is evidence of the
Chinese landing (everywhere! and) in Australia
hundreds of years before the first Europeans.
Interesting too that the author (Gavin Menzies)is not
a 'scholar' or an academic, but a retired submarine
captain (English) whose interest in old maps led him
to stumble upon the first evidence of China's
exploration.
When I first began reading it, I would get so excited
that I would read parts aloud to my hubby saying, "OH
MY GOD Andrew, listen to this..." One night when I
asked Joshua (8) what he wanted me to read to him
before bed he said, 'that book on china that you're
reading...' Funny too that all of Joshua's friends are
studying China this year as part of the school
curriculum. So in addition to what Joshua's been
learning about China from his computer game 'rise of
Nations', he won't have to *unlearn* 'European
History' like his mom.
pamela, who's *still* deschooling....
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> Teacher Told Me", (snip) I'm thinking thatlist (who wrote it, Zinn?) but was holding off cause
> without any doubt there could be an Australian
> version of this book, and
> wondering about (snip) non-English
> European pre-dating explorations including the
> surely inevitable visitations
> of Polynesians and S.E. Asian cultures which can
> hardly have failed to make
> that meager ocean journey (I mean if the Vikings
> could cross the Atlantic!)
>
> I had that one (Lies...) on my long range reading
I'm still recovering from "Labor's untold History"
(which left me just floored and feeling totally
betrayed...the ways in which I was lied to in school
is just unbearable to think about at times)
I'm reading "1421, the year China Discovered America"
which is just utterly amazing. It sets out to prove
that by 1423 China had sent over a hundred ships out
to circumnavigate the globe and finish the first true
map of the world, and yes, there is evidence of the
Chinese landing (everywhere! and) in Australia
hundreds of years before the first Europeans.
Interesting too that the author (Gavin Menzies)is not
a 'scholar' or an academic, but a retired submarine
captain (English) whose interest in old maps led him
to stumble upon the first evidence of China's
exploration.
When I first began reading it, I would get so excited
that I would read parts aloud to my hubby saying, "OH
MY GOD Andrew, listen to this..." One night when I
asked Joshua (8) what he wanted me to read to him
before bed he said, 'that book on china that you're
reading...' Funny too that all of Joshua's friends are
studying China this year as part of the school
curriculum. So in addition to what Joshua's been
learning about China from his computer game 'rise of
Nations', he won't have to *unlearn* 'European
History' like his mom.
pamela, who's *still* deschooling....
>__________________________________________________
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